Jeanne Calment

Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Calment, at the age of 20
Pronunciation	ʒan kalmɑ̃
Born	Jeanne Louise Calment (1875-02-21)21 February 1875 Arles, France
Died	(1997-08-04)4 August 1997 (aged 122 years, 164 days) Arles, France
Nationality	French
Known for	Longest confirmed human lifespan – since 12 May 1990 Oldest living person (11 January 1988 – 4 August 1997)
Spouse(s)	Fernand Calment (m. 1896; died 1942)
Children	1 daughter, Yvonne

Jeanne Louise Calment (21 February 1875 – 4 August 1997) was a French supercentenarian and at the time of her death at age 122 years, 164 days the verified oldest person in history as well as the only person who has surpassed 120 years of age, although her claimed age is possibly disputed. She was active during her life, lived on her own until she was almost 110, and talked a lot until months before her death.

Calment still rode her bike at the age of 100 in 1975. Once, she fell off and developed a brief period of amnesia. She recovered sometime later. In 1888, when she was 13, Calment met Vincent van Gogh while he visited her uncle's shop to buy canvas.

During her later years in the 1990s, she could not hear very well. In 1995 at the age of 120 years, she became the subject of her own documentary, 120 Years with Jeanne Calment. She died in Arles.

Controversy

A study by Russian researcher Nikolay Zak has disputed Jeanne Calment's claimed age with a hypothesis that Jeanne's daughter Yvonne, born 1898 and claimed to have died of pneumonia in 1934, usurped Jeanne's identity upon Jeanne's death in 1934. In that scenario, Jeanne Calment would have died already in 1934 and Yvonne Calment in 1997, claiming to be her mother and aged 122 but in fact she was aged 99. However, to prove if the hypothesis is true, a DNA/blood test is required.

The oldest undisputed person in history is Japanese woman Kane Tanaka, who lived to age 119 years, 107 days.

References

Preceded by Florence Knapp

Oldest Recognized Living Person 11 January 1988 – 4 August 1997

Succeeded by Marie-Louise Meilleur